Charge for detonator-casings.



L. WUHLER. CHARGE FOR DETONATOR OASINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1911.

1,128,394. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

ZUj/t messes I In wen b 1 liatiwrzdohl fi D 3 131 UNIT fsm'rns rA'rico'rnsn wonmm, or DAnMsrAn'r, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 at I. no ron'r m:nnmovns rownnn comrnzux, or wrnmms ron, DELAWARE, A oonro'narron or new7 JERSEY.

onanen non panorama-casinos "394; Specification of Letters Patent.Patented F b.16"19151 Application filed may 10, 1911. Serial No.626,888.

To all whom it may concem p .7

Be it known that I, LOTHAR Wiinnnn, a doctor of philosophy and professoroichemistry in the Institute of. Technology of Darmstadt, in Hesse, anda resident of 1 Hoftheaterplatz, in the city of Darmstadt, Grand Duchyof Hesse, part of the German Empire, and a subject of the GermanEmperor, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chargiestor Detonator- Casings, of which the 0 owing 1s a specification. p

This invention has reference to charges for detonators having an initialor primmg action for the purpose of detonatlng explosive charges. y

In my prior U. S. Patent No. 904,289, a charge has been described inwhlch the heavy metal salts of hydrazoic acid, the socalled heavy metalnitrids, are used in the place of fulminate of mercury either alone orin combination with explosive agents in primers, such compoundspresenting the advantage that a smaller amount of the metal nitrid maybe used for obtaining the same effect than by the use of fulminate ofmercury. In further investigations I have ascertained that the heavymetal nitrids may also be used with advantage in .such a manner thatthey do not constitute asubstitute for fulminate of mercury, but mayeither be employed in very small quantities in combination withfulminate of mercury or as asubstitute for fulminate of mercury incombinations/with other explosives possessing similar ;'properties, suchas diazo-benzolnitrate and sulfid of nitrogen for instance. Thesesubstances such, for example,as fulminate of mercury, are usuallydesignated primary detonating compounds or exploders of the first class,as they detonate directly. They are highly sensitive, and cannot be usedas main blasting charges. They do not need primers or initial ignitersfor their detonation as this takes place by direct detonation, asdistinguished from the indirect detonation of detonating compounds orexploders of the second class, such as n cotton, dynamite, picric acid,trinitroto uene, and the like, which require separate igniters ordetonator caps for their explosion. By combining in my invention heavymetal nitrids with said primary detonating compounds or exploders of thefirst class as, for example with fulminate of mercury, the activity ofthe fulminate' of mercury and of its substitutes, such asdiazobenzol-nitrate and sulfid of nitrogen, is enormously increased, sothat by working in this mannerthe desired priming or initial action uponblasting compounds can be pro- V y even a still smaller amount of theprimary detonating compound than by the use of lead nitridor of silvernitrid alone, while without the addition of nitrids in accordance withU. S. Patent No. 904,289, ful- Inmate of mercury is incomparably lessactive than the nitrids themselves, and while on the other handdiazo-benzol-nitaate and sulfid of nitrogen, even in comparatively largequantities, cannot be used as primers or initial igniters, though theybelong to the same class of directly detonating exploders to whichfulminate of mercury also belongs. lVhen used, however, in combinationwith heavy metal nitrids in accordance with my invention, even suchexploders of the first class which are otherwise unsuitable for use asprimers or igniters for detonating purposes, become very well adaptedfor that purpose. By thus employing an amount of metal nitrid which, inany case, is not larger than that employed in the case of the exclusiveuse of this nitrid, it becomes possible to utilize mercury fulminate inits previous modes of application with but a small addition of leadnitrid, which is a point of importance, inasmuch as the manufacture andmanipulation of mercury fulminate are well known and convenient. By thismeans it is also possible to make use of the very valuable advantage ofgreat compactness-and tightness of the charge of fulminate of mercury.With an addition of but about onethird of its amount of metal nitrid, oflead nitrid for instance, the fulminate may be compressed to a pressureof about thirty thousand pounds or to a pressure of about two thousandatmospheres and even higher, while without this addition the fulminateis known to have its activity greatly impaired by pressures of 3750pounds or 250 atmospheres. That is to say, the fulminate has beenpressed dead by such pressures when previously employed.

The following may be mentioned as illustrative examples for charges fordetonator casings embodying my invention:

1. A layer of trinitrotoluene may be used as the main charge which iscovered by a priming layer composed ofa mixture of two centigrams offulminate of mercury and one centi-gram of lead nitrid. If no leadnitrid were present, thirty centigrams of qfulminate of mercury wouldhave to be usedas a minimum.

2. Use the same main charge as in Ex ample 1, but as a primer use fivecentigrams of sulfid-of nitrogen or five centigrams-ofdiazo-benzol-nitrate to which from one to two centigrams of lead nitridare added.

3. Make up a charge of fulminate of mercury or of a mixture of fulminateof mercury with chlorate of potash,- and place upon this charge'a layerof one centigram of lead nitrid as a primer. Y

4. Use a charge of diazo-benzol-nitrate or of 'sulfid of nitrogen andplaceupon this charge a layer of one centigram of lead nitrid as aprimer. v 1 Y 5. Assuming the detonator to contain a relatively largecharge of fulminate of mercury or a mixture of the same with chlorate ofpotash and a smaller charge of some other explosive, mix the saidfulminate of mercury or the mixture thereof with chlorate of potash withone-third its weightof lead nitrid and compress this fulminate mixtureby forcing it into the shell by a pressure up to two thousandatmospheres or about thlrty thousand pounds.

The different layers of material may for instance be arranged within ashell or casing, as shown on the accompanying drawing which is alongitudinal sectional view, enlarged from the usual size, of adetonator casing, cap or primer for firing an explosive charge accordingto my invention.

In the drawing I have shown a shell or casing a, usually made of copperor of any other suitable material for containing the charge and itspriming or firing substance. In the shell there is a detonator charge 6,upon which a layer 0 of a priming or firing substance, as hereinbeforedescribed, is placed. A small perforated metal thimble d is placed uponthe contents, and the entire mass is then compressed in the usual manneras, for instance, in accordance with the Example 5 hereinbeforementioned.

While I have described my invention above in detail, I wish it to beunderstood that many changes may be made therein, Without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound and asmaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal.

2. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound and a smallerproport1on of an azid of a heavy metal mixed there with.

3. A detonator containing a primarydetonating compound mixed with anoxldlz- 4. A detonator containing a primar detproportion of, an

'onating compound mixed with an oxi izing agent, and a smallerproportion of an azid of a heavy metal mixed therewith.

5. detonator containing a primary detonating compound and a smallerproportion of lead azid.

6. A detonator containing a primary detonatmg compound and a smallerproportion of lead azid mixed therewith.

'-7.. A detonator containing a primary detonatm'g compound mixed-with anoxidizing ageit, and a smaller proportion of lead an r 8. A detonatorcontaining aprimary detonating 'compoundmixedwith an oxidizmg agent, anda smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith."

A 9. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury and a smallerproportion of an azid of a heavg metal. H 1

'10. A etonator containing fulminate of mercury and a smaller proportionof an azid of a heavy metal mixed therewith.

I 11. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with anoxidizing agent, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal. I

12. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizingagent, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metal mixedtherewith. i

13. A detonator containing fulminate of megcury and a smaller proportionof lead an 14. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury and a smallerproportion of lead azid mixedtherewith.

15. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizingagent, and a smaller proportion of lead azid.

16. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with an oxidizingagent, and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith.

17. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed withchlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavymetal.

18. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed withchlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of an azid of a heavy metalmixed therewith.

19. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed withchlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of lead azid.

20. A detonator containing a primary detonating compound mixed withchlorate of potash, and a smaller proportion of lead azid mixedtherewith.

21. A detonator containing-fulminate of mercury mixed with chlorate ofpotash, and

25. A detonator containing fulminate of mercury mixed with chlorate ofpotash, and 15 a smaller proportion of lead azid mixed therewith, thedetonator charge being highly compressed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

LOTHAR WoHLER.

Witnesses:

JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND.

